Defending champions India began their Asian Games campaign with a resounding 13-1 victory over Indonesia in their opening Pool A match. Striker Dilpreet Singh was the star, netting four goals, while Shilanand Lakra and Sukhjeet Singh each scored a brace, showcasing India's dominant performance.
The other goal-scorers for India were Akshata Dhekale (8th), Mariana Kujur (12th), Jyoti (23rd), Monika Dipi Toppo (27th), and Ajmina Kujur (30th).
The controversy within Hockey India regarding the change in the Indian teams' jersey colour has intensified. President Dilip Tirkey's deadline for Executive Director Commander RK Srivastava to submit documents explaining the decision was missed, leading to the Secretary General requesting an emergency Executive Board meeting. This issue, along with unaddressed harassment complaints, highlights significant internal strife within the organisation.
Even as the euphoria over India's bronze medal win in the junior women's hockey World Cup is yet to die down, former senior men's team chief coach Michael Nobbs has claimed that seven of the players were anaemic.
Germany beat Australia 1-0 in Pool A on Tuesday to reach the semi-finals of the women's hockey World Cup where they will meet hosts Argentina. New Zealand beat India 3-0 and avoided finishing bottom of the pool.
The Indian women's hockey team began their FIH World Cup Qualifiers 2026 campaign with a convincing 4-0 victory over Uruguay, showcasing a dominant performance in Hyderabad.
The controversy within Hockey India over the change in the Indian teams' jersey colour has intensified, with President Dilip Tirkey demanding documents from Director General Commander RK Srivastava. The issue, coupled with unaddressed harassment complaints, has led to the Secretary General seeking an emergency Executive Board meeting, highlighting significant internal strife ahead of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup.
England upset Olympic silver medallists China 1-0 with a first-minute goal for their second victory at the women's hockey World Cup on Tuesday.
Forget past and think about future: coach Harendra Singh's advice to women's hockey team
Former India hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has advised the current national team to manage World Cup pressure by trusting their preparation and enjoying the occasion. He expressed optimism about India's chances, aiming for a top-four finish in the upcoming FIH World Cup.
Olympic and world champions Netherlands will meet hosts Argentina in the women's hockey World Cup final on Saturday.
Legendary Indian hockey player P R Sreejesh has urged the men's team to ignore the ongoing jersey colour controversy and focus on ending the 50-year World Cup medal drought. He dismissed concerns about the saffron jersey, noting past colour changes, but questioned the visibility argument. Sreejesh emphasised that if players approved the change, the debate should cease, and politics should be kept out of sports. He also expressed confidence in the team's ability to perform despite the off-field distractions.
Hours after India lost to Great Britain in the bronze medal play-off, chief coach Sjoerd Marijne said he would like to be with his family after being away for three-and-a-half years.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) could take away next year's World Cup in New Delhi unless India forms a single national federation for the men's and women's game, its president Leandro Negre said. He said Malaysia is the standby venue but he was confident India would resolve the matter in time.
Congress MLA and former India Hockey Captain Pargat Singh has criticised the change in the Indian hockey team's national jersey colour from blue to saffron, alleging it reflects the BJP's mindset of 'giving everything a particular colour' and urging a focus on sports development instead.
37 players figure in the probables' list.
India then went on to clinch the Jharkhand Women's Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 with a dominant 4-0 win over Japan in the Final and achieved their best-ever FIH World Rankings (No. 6 with 2368.83 points) in November.
India concluded its Asian Games campaign in Nagoya with a creditable fourth place, securing 85 medals, including 21 golds. The final days saw a surge in gold medals, notably from the cricket and hockey teams, and historic individual wins by 17-year-old archer Kumkum Mohod and golfer Pranavi Urs.
Indian junior women's hockey coach Tim White emphasises the need for physical improvement to match international standards, while senior team coach Sjoerd Marijne highlights the importance of mental resilience and finishing skills.
Vijay Amritraj gets Padma Bhushan; Rohit Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur receive Padma Shri
Olympic and World champions Netherlands will meet hosts Argentina in the women's hockey World Cup final Saturday. It will be a repeat of the Champions Trophy final in Nottingham in July when Argentina beat the Dutch 4-2 for their third successive title.
Star Indian hockey players Hardik Singh and Salima Tete are among the nominees for the Hockey India Player of the Year awards, with the ceremony set to recognise outstanding achievements and contributions to Indian hockey.
Michael Nobbs took over the coaching of the Indian men's team in 2011 after it had failed to qualify for the Beijing Games in 2008.
Hardik Singh and Navneet Kaur were named Hockey India Player of the Year in the men's and women's categories, respectively, at a ceremony in New Delhi. Several other players, officials, and member units were also recognised for their contributions to Indian hockey.
Seventeen Indian sportspersons, including World Cup winning chess player Divya Deshmukh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, and shuttler Gayatri Gopichand, have been named for the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2025.
The Sports Ministry is encouraging Hockey India to nominate its best teams for the Asian Games, amidst discussions about fielding separate teams for the continental event and the World Cup to prevent player burnout.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey expresses his support for Manpreet Singh potentially breaking his record for international caps, highlighting the positive trajectory of Indian hockey.
The Indian team will begin its campaign in Pool D against Wales on Saturday before taking on formidable Germany on Sunday following the final tie against Malaysia.
Ambitious India out to match Hangzhou benchmark in Nagoya.
The Indian women's hockey team will return to the Olympics after a long gap of 36 years as it qualified for next year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, on Saturday, after England made it to the final of the ongoing EuroHockey Championships in London.
India took control of the match very early and converted their dominance into a goal in the seventh minute through Deepika who deftly converted a penalty corner with a neat flick to give her team the lead.
India's large contingent of 501 athletes is set to compete at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, aiming to showcase the nation's growing sporting depth and its ambition to become a global top-10 sporting power by 2036. Despite initial accommodation challenges, the focus is on building on the momentum from the record 2022 Hangzhou Games, with strong medal hopes in shooting, athletics, cricket, badminton, and hockey.
Simranjeet Singh and Rajni Etimarpu will lead the men's and women's sides respectively as Hockey India on Sunday named the Indian teams for the upcoming FIH Hockey5s World Cup to be held in Muscat, Oman.
Back as chief coach of the Indian women's hockey team after a four-year hiatus, Sjoerd Marijne is focussed on bringing back unity, discipline and culture in the side, with eyes firmly set on creating a group to qualify for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Top Indian athletes like PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, Neeru Dhanda, and Harmanpreet Singh have been nominated by their respective National Sports Federations to the electoral college for the Indian Olympic Association's Athletes Commission polls on November 3. The article details the nomination process, eligibility criteria, and the composition of the new Athletes Commission, noting the absence of some federations and the exclusion of outgoing members like Mary Kom.
India continued its strong performance at the Asian Games, securing gold medals in both men's and women's Kabaddi, a historic silver in marathon by Sawan Barwal, and advancing to squash finals. The day also saw mixed results in shooting, athletics, and badminton, contributing to India's growing medal tally.
Toppo is a product of the Sports Hostel, Panposh, Rourkela. She first represented her state team in 2007 and her performances in domestic competitions saw her getting selected for U-18 Girls Asia Cup in Bangkok, Thailand in 2011 where India won a bronze medal. She was first selected to represent the senior national team in 2012 in the FIH Champions Challenge I in Dublin.
The World Cup winners failed to turn up for their opening fixture against Nigeria at the Afro Asian Games.
For women's hockey in the country, this result may well turn out to be a watershed moment.
The Indians were undone by a horrendous stopwatch faux pas by technical officials in the shoot-out against Australia
